Celebration of Chinese New Year

As we knows, In Malaysia, Chinese New Year is an important celebration amongs Chinese. It is also an public holiday for all sectors.


There are 15-day celebration of Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year starts with New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon of 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called Chap Goh Mei.

The celebration started on the day before of the Lunar New Year and it is known as ‘除夕’(reunion) or New Year Eve. Normally, on this day, almost all the chinese family will wake up early in the morning to pray their ancestor. After this, the whole family members will be busying tidy up their house with those chinese decorations. At night, it is the time for the whole member sits together to have a reunion dinner. Mostly, all of relatives, son and daughter will rush back fron outstation in order to reunion together. New Year Eve are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thankgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in the honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.

The first day of the Lunar New Year is "the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth." Most of people will abstain from meat on the first day of the new year because it is believed that this will ensure long and happy lives for them. On this day, adults will wake up early in the morning to pray to the gods while their children will also wake up early and dressed up with new clothes. After that, they wish their parents happy chinese new year in order get ang pao （压岁钱）. In ancient time, children need to knee down to give tea to their parents. But in the modernization society, this custom is less practice.

After this, parents will bring their children to pay visit to their relatives houses. Adults will gather at a corner to gamble while the children will play around joyfully.

For more information, refer to http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/chinese_new_year.html